What did Americans know about Nazism during the 1930s and ’40s? How did the US government and the American people respond?

Many people today assume that Americans of the 1930s and ’40s knew little about Nazi Germany, especially its plan to destroy Europe’s Jews. This assumption is not correct. On the contrary, Americans had access to a great deal of information about the dangers of Nazism, including knowing much about the persecution of Jews as it was taking place. But they did not agree about how to respond. During the years of Nazi rule in Germany, Americans vehemently debated whether to admit refugees, intervene in war, or rescue Jews targeted for murder.

Join Daniel Greene, adjunct professor history at Northwestern University and curator of a new special exhibition on Americans and the Holocaust at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, in conversation with Liesl Olson, director of Chicago Studies at the Newberry, as they discuss some of the myths and misconceptions around this history.

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Doors open half an hour before the program begins, with first-come, first-served seating for registered attendees. If seats remain available, non-registered individuals will be permitted to enter about ten minutes before the event’s start. Questions? Contact us at publicprograms@newberry.org or 312-255-3610.